Tiger Fafara has shared his thoughts on why he was axed from the 1957 popular sitcom, Leave It to Beaver. The actor was a series regular for two seasons, but he was let go during the third season for undisclosed reasons. However, Fafara has now shared what he believes the reasons could’ve been.
Tiger Fafara cites budget issues as reason behind axing from Leave It to Beaver
During an interview on That’s Classic!, Luke Fafara was asked if he voluntarily left Leave It to Beaver or was let go. The 80-year-old actor, who played Tooey Brown, suspected that he was let go due to budget constraints.
Fafara believed that the show’s cast had expanded quite significantly. As a result, the show creators wrote his character out of the show. He explained, “If they’re going to have to let somebody go, you’re going to let somebody go that’s not contracted,” noting that he wasn’t under contract like other child stars.
He had hoped that the show would explore his character’s relationship with Wally Cleaver as they were getting close. Fafara said, “I thought that they would build on that.” However, despite the disappointment, Fafara admitted that he held no grudges. “I’ve never had hard feelings with anybody there. It’s just business,” the actor shared.
Years later, the actor returned to reprise his role in the ’80s revival, The New Leave It to Beaver, though he appeared very briefly. Outside of the Beaver series, Fafara had guest roles on several other popular TV shows of the time, including Lassie, The Donna Reed Show, and My Three Sons.
Following the cast reunion, the show garnered quite a bit of attention. It created a sense of nostalgia for the viewers who have been fans of the series. Additionally, the youngest surviving cast member, Jerry Mathers (Beaver Cleaver), 77, continues to attend fan conventions and shares memories of the show.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
